Link chicken farming compensation to change

SAANICH - The Green Party of Canada is calling for a re-evaluation of the poultry industry, by linking avian flu compensation to the promotion of more diverse, humane, and economically sound farming practices, said Green Party deputy leader Andrew Lewis today.

19 million chickens in the Fraser Valley will be slaughtered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, because of the avian flu threat. The federal and provincial governments are now considering public compensation to support the industry during these devastating times.

"Before we give away a dime of taxpayer money, we first need an alternative to intensive factory farming in the Fraser Valley that directly contributed to the avian flu threat. Taxpayers, organic small farms and 19 million chickens will pay the price if governments proceed with their short-sighted compensation plans", said Lewis, Green Party Deputy Leader.

With 80% of B.C.'s poultry in the Fraser Valley, de-clawed, de-beaked, cooped 10,000 to the barn in some cases, and fed antibiotics, it is inevitable that poultry immune response systems will be compromised, and that epidemics such as flu will spread farm to farm in such a small geographic area.

"It's time for the Canadian government to ask whether the corporate health of Colonel Saunders comes first or the health of Canadians", said Lewis.

The concerns of the Green Party are that compensation without promoting change will lead to a further loss of genetic diversity in poultry, increased density in cages, increased concentration in the Fraser Valley, and further taxpayer costs when the industry needs to be bailed out next
time.

Lewis said, " this is an opportunity to diversify poultry farming, break the unhealthy concentration in the Valley and support local economies across B.C with locally produced, humanely raised chickens and eggs".

According to the most recent Ipsos-Reid poll, the Green Party of Canada has over 5% support across the country, with 12% support in B.C. Andrew Lewis was the B.C. Green Party's candidate in the 2001 provincial election, winning over 25% in Saanich North and the Islands.

Contact:
Andrew Lewis, Deputy Leader, GPC, Candidate, Saanich-Gulf Islands.
250 537-7293
alewis@andrewlewis.ca
www.andrewlewis.ca

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The above Media Release was released on 8 April 2004